Letter-mail box



Oct. 7, 1930. w R BANKSON 1,777,740

LETTER MAIL BOX Filed Nov. 5, 1927 INVENTOR Petefited Get. 7 1930 WILLIAM mBAimsomeF IEITT URGI IENNSYLVA IA the primary object of the inventibfi isto' pioyide a niztilbexof the character deserihed, which will unifo rmlyst aek letter riiail With, 5the;eddressed'sideetheiebf generally turnedin the ls'a rhedireetieh; under such conditions:

greatly j facilitating and expediting the henpos dlipgyie j gsorcing, and postal eancella-tion ef lett'efjyheill strong; dura bleendefficient in its us compact, positive iii its" eQCtiOD, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture,

other objete in View which will appear as the description preceeds, the invention efon sisjis bf the bevel eenstflletio i, [cdmbifia fiio n eiid arrangement of pgrt'sjhei'ein specifically described and 'illustretedin the accompany? in the s'cfdpeef fuhe elaj iiis hereufite erided.

i fi r u i t pp new t ee reeeficztcle QTheff ree end f the 0Q m w h r t n i lar y slqds d. on WatrtllYgPqojeetinQ 5 these iarid'such atio'ns (if the com with tide of a sditebl e locking e ler r lefliz f o l the reeep teelel against entrance theretdfby' un'authe'riz'ed personsli 'A lohgitudinallyextelidiligmail d d is fixed in the lowerend oMheg aiL rec ptable 11 The mail support 8 i manne o:

mairsup orn 8' extends an a unife mfilan tl'lreughoufgits lengthand is of a width edmmensurate filo the width 'iojf ,the Iheil 'recepf,

taelel; 1 The'ehuteeaei ng 21s provided with regiinally and WhiChiS "formed Withj a centrally disposed, transversely extending; elengeted' mail 5101311. veftieally disposed mail chute the latter, nd as: its upper fixed tethe eeeing top The top bf the! mail chute 12] omm ic e with; h in I-i b mend the ail slbei me i or clear the mail slot 11 to permit of the insertion of letter mail therethrough. The distance of travel permitted to the mail slot cover 14 is determined by the length of the slots which is suflicient to provide for the covering and uncovering of the mail slot 11.

Each of the pair of legs 16 is provided with a fixed arm 21, which is disposed horizontally rearward in alignment with the bearing pins 19. The free end of each of the arms 21, carries an adjustable weight member 22, which normally functions to draw the upper ends of the pair of arms 16 rearwardly and in consequence normally maintains the mail slot 11 in the closing position. f i 2 The chute bottom 15 is fixed between the lower portions of the legs 16, which are offset forwardly relatively to the upper portions thereof. The relative positions of the mail slot cover 14 and of the chute bottom 15 are such that when the former is in the normal closing position the latter is in the opening position and'vice versa. Y

A stacking plate 23 is pivotally connected, as at 24', between the lower ends of the legs 16. The connections 24, of the stacking plate 23, are above the center of the latter, so that the stacking plate 23 will be overbalanced to normally maintain a perpendicular.,edgewise suspension, as clearly shown in Figure 1.

The rearward end of the chute bottom 15 carries a fixed, perpendicularly extending apron 25, which is disposed between the lower offset portions of the legs 16. The lower end of the-apron 25is positioned in close'proximity to the upper end of the'staclc and the front face 27 thereof is positioned at an nangle'with the upper end disposed rearwardlyof the lower end. i

'l The operation ofmy improved mail box will stacklettermail 28 flatly endwise and inclined against each-otherfand against the front face '27 of the slide rest 26,-as clearly shown in Figure 1. The operation of: the device is facilitated by a pull lug 29=which is formed integral wit'h the top of th mail:

slot cover 14.

In practice, the depositor draws the cover- 14-"forwardly to uncover the mail slot 11.

Such forward movement-of the cover 14 will actuate the leg's 16 to bring the'chutebottom 15 tolthe closing position, and, to shift the stacking plate 23, lrearwardly, with the -pre-- dep'ositedletter 3Q, against the. let-.

ter mail 28 already stacked against the slide rest 26. The stacking position of the stacking plate 23 is clearly illustrated in dash lines in Figure 1. The rearward movement of the stacking plate 23, in the manner stated, Will shift all of the stacked mail matter 28, together with the slide rest 26, rearwardly on the support 8, so that the clearance or distance between the most forward letter of the stack 28 and the normal position of the stacking plate :23 remains constant. Such shifting of the stacked letter mail 28 and of the sliderest 26 is not diflicult owing to the downward grade of the support 8 on which it is shifting;

After'the depositor has drawn the mail slot cover 14 forwardly to uncover the mail slot 11, he deposits his letter, which remains in the chute 12 until the cover 14 is released and returns toits normal closing position by the action of the weight members 22. During the closing movement of the cover 14 the chute bottom 15 will be shifting forwardly to the opening position, thereby a1- lowing the deposited letter to pass from the 1;

chute 12 into the mail receptacle 1. Such deposited letter will normally assume the position-of the letter 30, as shown in Figure 1, which is an endwise position ready to. be stacked by the next movement of the stacking plate 23, when the mail slot cover 14 is next drawn to theopeningrposition.

It willbe noted that; the chute 12 is of sufli cientlength to accommodate the length of the letter, as th e'latter is confined inv the chute 12 until the cover 14 is-automatically returned to'the closing' -posit-ion, at which time the chute bottom 15 has shifted to the opening position.

The lower end of the stacking plate 23 is 3 normally disposed in close proximity to the topof the support 8, and is normally disposed forwardly to the vertical alignment of the forward side of the chute 12. This arrangement 'eliminates'the possibility of any interference to the letter whenthe same passes from the chute 12 and is stacked against the previously stacked letter ,mail 28, which is already positioned on the mail support. 8;

' All letters inserted in my improved mail.

box will be, neatly stacked flatly} against each other, and"asitheIjdepositor usually takes, a final, look at the letter :to satisfy himselfthat the samehasbeen properly stamped and addressed, the letters will he foundto be generallyturned in the same di-' ter-is collected from the mailbox by the letter 1:

carrier, it-will ofcourse .beneces sary for him to move theslide-rest 26 forwardly to its pro per starting .position 1 on the support .8. g

Itwill be obvious that my improved letten mail box maybe employed as a .unit .or arr.

ranged in a battery of .units of different sizes to accommodate letters of various sizes. Further the device may be combined with a; mail receptacle which is adapted for the reception of" parcel mail. 7 y l V l WhatIclaimis: J i In a mail box, the combination of a receptacle including a'casing having a mail slot on said support, a chute carried byand de- 5 Ypendinginto said casing, the upper endof formed in the top thereof, a support fixed in said receptacle, a slide rest shiftably mounted 7 said casing communicating with said slot and y the lower endthereof with said receptacle, :1

pair of legs pivotally connecting with said casing and being disposed on respective sides of said chute, a cover for said slot mounted on the top of said casinglandbeing fixed to 1 the upper ends'oit' said pairof legs, the lower pair of legs, a stacking plate be in 25 of legs, the moveme connected to and b'etween the lower ends of 'said forwardly oflset portions of said pair of legs, said stacking plate being overbalanced for normally maintaining'a perpen I .dieular edgewise suspension between said pair nt of said cover for opening said slot actuatinghsaidbottom for clos:

the lower end of said chute and further shifting said stackingplate toward said slide rest, and a weight member carried by said legs and operable for automaticallyreturning a said" cover to theclosed position. I a a In testimony whereof I 'afiix my signature.

VVILIAM R. BANKSON. 

